If you believe that you, in some small way, represent or symbolize the spirit, the vibe, the essence of Santa Cruz, then get out your calendar.

The Santa Cruz video production company Impact is sending out a “Bat signal” — or at least its version of one — to any and all Santa Cruzans who want to take part in an video art project that will be part of the downtown Santa Cruz experience later this spring.

“We Are Santa Cruz — Reflections of Our Community” is designed to be a series of short video clips of local people — surfers, coders, families, artists, businesspeople, fill-in-the-blank — to be projected in the windows of the Rittenhouse Building.

The project is Impact”s way of responding to the recent spate of violence events in Santa Cruz, most notably the February slaying of police officers Butch Baker and Elizabeth Butler.

“We felt that the image of Santa Cruz was being defined by this violence,” said Impact”s David Sieburg. “So we just started brainstorming about how we can remind people what Santa Cruz was really about.”

The first ideas were scenic images of Santa Cruz County but “we decided that it was really the people, not the scenics, that define the Santa Cruz experience,” said Sieburg.

The exhibit will premiere in May in the front window of the Ritt, at the corner of Pacific Avenue and Church Street. It will consist of full-body, life-size video images of people walking into the frame greeting the camera and walking out, all back-projected from inside the building to be seen after sundown by anyone who happens to be passing by.

On Friday, April 5, Impact will open up the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium to attract locals to be part of the exhibit. The doors will be open from 2 to 9 p.m. and is open to any resident who wants to take part.

“We want it to be just an endless parade of people of all kinds, so we”re really encouraging people to come out and be part of it,” said Sieburg. “And bring props, a surfboard, a Harley jacket, whatever.”

The open call could attract hundreds of residents. Impact said that willing participants will be shot on a first-come-first-served basis.

Impact has set up a video simulation of what the project will look like. To see it, or to get more information, go to www.wearesantacruz.org.